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# Diceless Certamen

#### by Andrew P Smith

The copyright of this article remains with the original author. Articles may be copied or distributed freely for personal non-profit use, provided that the author is properly credited.

A standard Ars Magica certamen is a fairly unexciting matter of rolling dice until one party is victorious. These rules dispense with the dice altogether and introduce elements of descriptive flavour, strategy and skill in an attempt to make the duelling process more exciting and dramatic.

"I am the broad oak which stands in the meadow."
"I am the humble acorn which is born from the oak."
"...I am the patient gardener who plants the acorn."
"I am the garden which he tends."
"But this garden will be too small too contain all his labours!"
"Then I am the prized rosebush of the gardener..."

This is an example of how a Creo Herbam certamen might proceed. Each magus in turn announces some object or concept which is related to the previous one. That which is proposed is manifested as a phantom in the certamen circle, visible to onlookers. This continues until one magus cannot think of a suitable phantom, whereupon he is defeated. A time limit (usually between 15 and 30 seconds) is imposed by the referee (typically the SG) upon each player's move. In character, the certamen can be considered to be happening in real time, or perhaps slightly faster. As each player thinks aloud (or silently), her thoughts are made manifest in the probing and fluctuating of the magical phantoms. When a player announces a move, she is actually speaking in character, as her magus manipulates the phantoms with arcane words and gestures.

Usual convention is for the challenger to select the Technique, and the challenged magus the Form. The certamen circle is drawn and the magi take their places. The challenger begins by creating an initial phantom of their choice.

Each certamen, like every game of chess, is unique. Different Techniques and Forms offer a wide variety of possibilities. In particular, there are five distinct styles, depending upon the Technique chosen:

#### Creo Certamens

Phantoms (objects, entities or concepts) must be elaborated which grow from or are created by the opponent's phantom. Alternatively, some part of the opponent's phantom can be nurtured further, the whole phantom can be raised to a more perfect state, or some Creo-related property of the phantom can be illustrated.

For example, let us suppose the current phantom is a young tree (Herbam). Possible subsequent moves are: the leaves/blossom/fruit/acorns which grow from the tree, the shade on the grass which it provides, the tree fully grown to adulthood, the sap (which is its lifeblood), or abstract concepts such as the exuberance of the tree's youth, it's strength or beauty, and so on.

#### Intellego Certamens

Here each move is derived from some property, fact or truth which can be determined by analysing the opponent's phantom in some way. The player/magus proposes the new phantom and explains how it is arrived at.

Example: the current phantom is a bonfire (Ignem). Possibilities include: "The ashes reveal that the fire was lit at dawn" (implicitly, the new phantom is the lighting), "I spread my hands and feel the heat of the flames" (heat), "I can smell the sulphur in the smoke" (can be interpreted subsequently by the opponent as either sulphur or smoke), "I look into the fire and I see the glowing coals" (coals, or the glow of the coals).

#### Muto Certamens

Each magus must mutate, warp or change the opponent's phantom into some new form, or must propose something which arises from a change in it. It is common to mention some event or action which causes the change.

If we currently have a dream (Mentem), subsequent phantoms could be any of: a nightmare (by introducing dark thoughts/demons), consciousness (which arises from awakening), a memory of the dream, an augury (by adding portents), empty sleep (by dulling the dream), etc.

#### Perdo Certamens

Perhaps the most straightforward Technique! Each player/magus must propose a new phantom which destroys, eliminates, defeats (or at least weakens or decays) the current phantom.

Let us suppose the current phantom is a cat (Animal). This can be defeated in a number of ways: it can be chased away by a dog, bitten by a flea, killed by a wolf in the wilds, attacked by an eagle, acquire a feline disease, caught in an animal trap, and so on.

#### Rego Certamens

With this Technique, each phantom must be chosen which exerts some control or influence on the current phantom, or some motion or other control is performed on the current phantom which leads to something perceptibly different.

For example, let's say we have a river (Aquam). Possibilities include: a dam/lock/weir, a lake (by directing the river to an enclosed area), a waterwheel, an estuary/sea/ocean (which the river empties into), a boat/ship/raft (which utilises the flow of the river), or a waterfall.

See below for examples of certamens with different Techniques and Forms.

### Allowable Phantoms

The most important restriction is that each phantom created must be either composed of, or related to, the Form of the certamen. This should not be interpreted too strictly. For example, let's suppose the Form is Auram. Acceptable phantoms include anything that would come under the purview of an Auram spell (wind, clouds, air, etc.), any air- related concept (flight, emptiness, contrariness, etc. - although these are usually tied to something more concrete, for example "the emptiness of the sky"), even any air-dwelling creatures (birds) or man-made objects which relate to air (chimney, bellows, gas jar, etc.). Things which can not be associated with Auram at all, such as rivers, flame, swords, endurance, rabbits, for example, should not be allowed. The context in which the thing is presented should make it fairly clear that it is related to the Form.

Phantoms can be actual objects, particular properties of objects, or abstract concepts. The phantoms which result from the latter are rather nebulous and unclear to the spectator, and afford a fairly high degree of freedom in the subsequent move of the opponent.

The following are not allowed: any verb which is a restatement of the Technique ("I am creation/destruction/motion/etc."), any invincible concepts (such as God, victory, everything, etc.), any concepts which are either too woolly or abstract (time, force of darkness, soul, etc.), anything which could not plausibly exist ("I am a mountain made of cheese"), or any proper nouns ("I am the King of France").

The referee is the ultimate arbiter of what should be allowed.

### Wrests

A character's Certamen score reflects the ability of the magus to control the magical phantoms, to feint and probe with deftness. Consequently, the duellist with the highest Certamen score is given an advantage.

For every 2 points (or fraction thereof) that your Certamen score (including any Knack or other applicable bonus) exceeds that of your opponent, you are granted the ability to perform one Wrest. At the beginning of the contest, the referee informs the player with the superior score (if any) that they can play one or more Wrests - the exact number is kept secret, since the exact strength of one's opponent is usually unknown. If a player has run out of Wrests but tries to play one, they are informed by the referee and must revert to a normal move.

When a Wrest is performed by the (more expert) magus, they seize control of their opponent's magical phantom. The opponent is then forced to nominate another subsequent phantom. (In effect, this is a `pass'.) A player announces a Wrest implicitly with a declaration of the form of "I take command of your (phantom)", "I now control the (phantom)", "With my skill, I take your (phantom) and it now belongs to me", or similar. From a tactical viewpoint, Wrests are usually played when one's opponent plays a particularly strong or inventive move which is difficult to counter. Even one Wrest is a useful advantage, with three or more you are very difficult to beat indeed.

### Rebuffs

Whereas the Certamen score allows the magus to manipulate the phantoms with skill, the actual potency or impressiveness of these phantoms is determined by the relevant Art scores of the character. Therefore an advantage is given to either participant that has a superior Art (either Technique or Form).

For every 5 points (or fraction thereof) that your Technique score (including any Affinity or other applicable bonus) exceeds that of your opponent, you are granted the ability to perform one Technique Rebuff. Similarly, for every 5 points (or fraction thereof) that your Form score (including any Affinity or other applicable bonus) exceeds that of your opponent, you are given the power to perform one Form Rebuff. As with Wrests, players are informed if they have any Technique and/or Form Rebuffs, but not how many.

In playing a Rebuff, you illustrate the inadequacy of your opponent's move by asserting either that your current phantom is too strong, or that your opponent's proposition is too weak. Either way, your opponent's move is invalidated and they must propose another. (It is thus functionally similar to a Wrest, except that the Rebuffed player must reply to their opponent's phantom, not their own.)

To play a Technique Rebuff, you must either state that your phantom is acting too strongly (moving too fast, hitting too hard, growing too fast, etc.) to be overcome, or that your opponent's is acting too weakly (not moving fast enought, hitting too softly, etc.) to counter yours. To play a Form Rebuff, you must either assert that the form of your phantom is too well constructed (too large, too hard, too impressive, etc.) to be outplayed, or that your opponent's is too poorly constructed (too small, too puny, etc.) to be a valid move. Thus a Technique Rebuff refers to the `verb' part of a move, a Form Rebuff to the `noun' part. In some cases it is possible to play either a Technique or a Form Rebuff, though they must be phrased differently.

A Rebuff can only be played if it can be phrased in a way that makes sense - if you cannot think of how exactly your phantom is too strong to be countered, you cannot play it. Also, a Rebuff cannot be played in response to a Wrest or Rebuff.

### Repetitions and Weakening

Players must try to avoid the repetition of a move that has already been played. However, if no other move can be thought of, it may be possible to enunciate a phantom that has already been produced (by either participant). In this case the duel continues, but the magus who repeated is considered to have a Weakened status. A Repetition is thus an act of desperation and usually only serves to forestall a defeat.

Any one particular move can only ever be repeated once by a single player, and a move that has just been Rebuffed cannot be repeated. Also, it is not possible to play a Repetition at all in a Weakened state. It is usually clear to any onlookers when one magus is Weakened - their opponent has gained a clear upper hand in the manipulation of the phantoms. The only way to annul a Weakened state is to force your opponent into a Repetition, which equalises the status of the duel.

It is not necessary for your opponent to be Weakened before a victory can be achieved. It is entirely possible to play a good move and thereby win immediately even if you are yourself Weakened.

The rules for Repetition and Weakening can optionally be dropped if either a shorter or simpler duel is desired.

### Fatigue

Fighting a certamen is fatiguing activity. The level of magical fatigue of a magus should be reflected by the level of mental fatigue of their player. If required, the referee can assign Fatigue levels on a subjective basis. Usually this is only important if the level of fatigue of the magus after the duel is significant (for example if the certamen is fought during a combat). Fatigue is determined by the length of the duel and by the difficulty with which the player is having in thinking of moves.

A defeated magus is overwhelmed by the magical energies of the duel and is momentarily rendered unconscious. This is often rendered symbolically by the winning phantom. The loser usually regains consciousness after a round, after which they are heavily fatigued. It is of course possible to surrender (which must be done clearly before the time limit for a move expires) in which case the loser is not knocked out.

### Botches

Due to the absence of dice, botches are not random occurences. The possibility of botching can in fact be discounted altogether if desired. Alternatively, a roll for botch can be called for if a player attempts to play an illegal move. For example, a player might (either deliberately or inadvertently) attempt a move like "I am everything". In this case a botch would be envisaged as the magus being overwhelmed by the magical energies as an attempt to manifest a phantom which is beyond their ability backfires. If no botch occurs, the illegal move can be corrected and the duel continues.

### Vis Usage

Raw vis can be spent to strengthen any move - of either the relevant Technique or Form as appropriate to the move. The player should embellish the description of the phantom to illusrate this strengthening, for example "I am a mountain" might become "I am an almighty mountain". Strengthening a move with vis both prevents it from being Wrested and allows a number of Rebuffs of the opponent's direct response equal to the number of pawns expended. A strengthened move can only be Rebuffed by spending additional Rebuffs equal to the number of pawns. For example, 3 Rebuffs are required to reject a move strengthened with two pawns. When your opponent plays a strengthened move, the only way to prevent your subsequent move being Rebuffed is to strengthen your own move with a greater number of pawns.

If a move has just been Rebuffed, it can be repeated if strengthened with vis, which does not count as a Repetition. For example:

"I am a bonfire which consumes your wood."
"Your fire is not hot enough to burn this wood."
(Strengthen) "Very well, then I make my fire more intense..."

A pawn of Rego or Vim vis can be spent at any stage to Wrest control of any unstrengthened phantom.

### Refereeing Hints

To enhance the roleplaying experience of the certamen, players should be encouraged to formulate their phantoms in a grandiose or theatrical fashion. It's great if players can try to come up with original moves that are appropriate to the personalities of the magi in the duel. One idea to enhance the dramatic effect is to have the players sitting on the floor opposite each other, cross-legged - rather akin to the stance adopted by their characters in-game, perhaps.

A creative mind is required to fight a certamen in this way, and a SG may find that it suits certain players better than others. There are a number of ways this can be addressed, if it proves to be a problem. A weaker player can be given more time for each move, given an advisor to help (for a number of moves as desired), or even given one or more extra Wrests to play.

The time limit for each move can be altered according to the circumstances of the duel. More time might be given for an elaborate and significant certamen at a Tribunal, whereas an in-combat duel should be made more hurried and stressful. In a long certamen, time limits can be gradually reduced to reflect the increasing fatigue of the magi.

For characters with a high Sta, the referee can allow slightly more time for the player to cogitate upon their moves. For characters with a very high Int, or perhaps with Inventive Genius or Free Expression, the player can be allowed to consult with one or more of their peers for ideas.

The definitions of the five types of certamen as characterised by the Technique chosen are not discrete, but overlap somewhat. There are many moves that can legitimately be played under more than one Technique, and the referee should not be too rigid in their interpretation. The most important thing about a move is the way it is presented - if it sounds impressive and plausible, it should probably be allowed.

In the case of a number of weak or dubious moves following after each other, it may be the case that the `thread' of the duel is lost somewhat. If so, it is best to assume that the current phantoms simply `fade away' and restart with a new phantom, proposed by the challenger.

After a number of certamens fought by a magus, certain favourite strategies or phantoms may be evident. "Ah yes, I know old Mediocrus of Tremere, he always has hidden owls in his Animal certamens..." There is no problem at all with this, it all adds to the flavour and strategy of the duel.

### Tremere Techniques

It is known that magi of House Tremere are experts at certamen, and it is rumoured that they have knowledge of some special techniques or tricks...

Ideas for special tricks include:

- Disrupt, which dissipates the current phantoms and forces a fresh start. The opponent then proposes a new phantom.
- Parry, whereby the Tremere counters an opponent's move and leaves their previous phantom intact.
- Feint, where the Tremere plays a `false' response to their opponent. When the opponent replies to the feint, the energies are misdirected, and they must then respond to the original move.
- Shield, whereby the Tremere responds to a move and also nominates a subsidiary phantom to `defend' it. Both the shield and the primary phantom must be countered.
- Lightning Strike, where a move is played as fast as possible - the opponent must respond with equal speed or be immediately defeated.
- Great Blow, which is a move played with such veracity that it must be countered with two separate phantoms by the opponent.
- Form Change, whereby the Tremere can subtlely interject a new phantom which causes the Form of the duel to be changed.

### Examples

#### Muto Animal

"I am a Wolf."
"I change the savage instincts of the wolf to obedience, and I am a Dog."
"I am the Weakness of the dog after it becomes lame."
"The weakness turns to Strength after the hound is healed."
(Repetition) "The strength reverts to Weakness again, with, er, time."
"Also with time comes death, and so I am the Corpse which the weak Dog becomes."
"I am the writhing mass of Maggots which the corpse changes to."
"The maggots turn into Flies."

#### Creo Aquam

"I am a Pond."
"I am the Rains which swell the pond to its full size."
(Technique Rebuff) "But your rains are too short to fill up my pond!"
(Strengthen, 1 Cr) "Then I make my rains more enduring."
"I am the Rainbow which is observed from your raincloud."
(Technique Rebuff) "But my raincloud is too extensive to allow sunlight through to sustain your rainbow."
"Then I am the Floods which result from your rains."
"I am the Fertility of the land in the flood plain."
"I am the Wine which is grown in this fertile region."
"I am the Refreshment brought to those that drink it."
"And I am the Urine that they pass."
"I am the Puddle which the urine forms."
(Technique Rebuff) "There is so little urine - naught but a few drops - such that it does not pool together."

#### Perdo Auram

"I am the hot Breeze of the desert."
"I am the wet Wind from the sea that overcomes your breeze."
(Wrest) "I now control your wind."
"I am the Sandstorm from the desert that drives back your wind."
"I am the Contrariness of the wind that causes your sandstorm to dissipate into calm."
"I am the Violence of the storm that destroys this calm."

#### Rego Corpus

"I am the Ashes of a dead man."
(Strengthen, 2 Co) "I am the massive and lavishly-decorated Urn that contains them."
"I am the Descendants of the man who gather around the urn in reverence."
(Form Rebuff) "Hah! Do you not see the magnificence of this vessel? The blood of the deceased is far nobler than that of these petty commoners! They are not of his line."
"Hmm. So then those that gather around are a council of the greatest of mortal Kings."
(Form Rebuff) "His blood was yet more noble still. Even kings do not warrant a resting place of such awe."

#### Intellego Herbam

"I am Grass."
"I can smell the Dew upon it."
"I taste the dew, and detect the flavour of bark. I know that this moisture dropped from the Tree overhead."
"I speak to the tree and it tells me its Age."
(Form Rebuff) "You cannot do that! My tree is too mighty to deign to talk with you."
"Very well. But I can feel the rough texture of its bark, and know at least that it has aged to Maturity."
"I therefore deduce that the tree is capable of producing Fruit."
"I taste the fruit and recognise it as Apple."

#### Creo Ignem

"I am ...a Midsummer's Day."
"I am the bright Light of the sun at its zenith."
"I am the Warmth which is felt by all who bask in this light."
(Wrest) "I am your warmth."
"I am the shimmering Haze over the stony road which comes from the heat."

#### Intellego Imaginem

"I am the Visage of a youthful maiden."
"I see that she is Beautiful."
(Wrest) "I have also observed that."
"I notice the Smiles on the faces of those whom she charms."
"As the nearby lecher grins laviciously, I smell the Drunkenness on his breath."
(Technique Rebuff) "I am afraid the scent is too subtle for you to perceive that."
"But I can hear those lustful Words that he mutters under his breath."
(Technique Rebuff) "But he speaks in a foreign tongue!"
"Very well... Then I feel the crude fabric of his rags and know that he is Poor."
(Technique Rebuff) "Obviously you failed to notice the pouch of money he hides inside his tunic."

#### Rego Mentem

"I am a Dream."
"I am Awakening, which bars the progress of the dream."
"I am the Fear instilled by the master, whenever his slave is awakened."
"I am the Courage which tempers his fear."
"I am the slave's Memory of past heroics, which direct his courage."
"I am his Mind, which houses these memories."
"His mind is governed by his Madness."
(Form Rebuff) "His mind is too strong to be ruled by insanity."
"...Then his mind, his thoughts, are stimulated by the Words of the poetry which he reads."
"I am the Intent of the author of those words."
(Wrest) "I am become this intent."
"Hmm, I am the powerful Emotions which evoke this intent and call the writer to take up his quill."
"I am his Rationality which regulates these emotions."
"I am the Teaching of his mentor, who trains him in logic."
"I am the teacher's Faith, which calls him to duty."
(Technique Rebuff) "His faith does not call strongly enough."
"Then I am his Delusions of grandeur, which make him think his teachings have merit."
(Repetition) "I am... the Dreams in which his delusions are sown."
"I am the Ghost who haunts the mentor in his dreams."
(Technique Rebuff) "Your ghost whispers too softly to be heard."
"Then I am the man's innermost Desires, which are manifest in the dream."

#### Muto Terram

"I am Stone, unyielding."
"As the elements grind away over the centuries, your stone turns to Sand."
(Technique Rebuff) "Hah - centuries indeed! That is far too slow to affect a change in my stone."
"In that case I am the deft hands of the sculptor, who turns the stone into a Statue."

#### Perdo Vim

"I am the Words of Power with which a magician casts his spells."
"I am the residual Aura of the Dominion which saps his magics."
"But I am the Demon that despoils the sanctity of your aura."
"Then I am the Whitefire on the blade of the holy knight thats drives away this evil."
(Form Rebuff) "My demon is too strong to be defeated by your petty knight!"
"In that case I am the Master Diabolist, and I bind your demon to my will."
"I am the Corruption that seeps into his soul and condemns it to Hell."

### Clarifications

In the light of some issues which have arisen during playtesting, it may be helpful to clarify the following:

- Conventions and Order of Play

  Usually things proceed in the following order:

  1. Magus A (the challenger) selects the Technique.
  2. Magus B (the challengee) selects the Form.
  3. Magus A begins the certamen by creating an initial phantom.
  4. Magus B must respond with a new phantom...

- The Current Phantom

  There is a notion of the current phantom. At any one time in the duel, there is only one properly established and undefeated phantom - it is always this phantom which must form the subject of the next move. So you must not play with your opponent's original phantom, but their most recent. Unless a counter-move is Rebuffed, a phantom that has been defeated stays defeated - it dissipates from the certamen circle and can be forgotten.

- Allowable Phantoms

  The phantoms in the duel must stay within the realm of things that are at least somehow related to the Form of the duel. This is to prevent the certamen from becoming a generic Form-free contest. The Form sets the flavour of the whole duel, it's not just a starting point.

  Thinking of each move as akin to sponting a spell, each move (spell) must involve the Form, even if only as a minor requisite.

  As a rule of thumb, it should generally be possible to phrase each move as:

  "I am the (form) that (verbs) your (phantom)."

  where (form) is of the Form of the certamen, or some aspect of it, (verb) is an action appropriate to the Technique of the certamen, and (phantom) is the form last chosen by the opponent. This can be phrased differently and qualified with sub-clauses.

  Remember, though, that the phantom does not have to be physically made of the Form of the duel. Indeed it need not be physically realisable at all. (Abstract phantoms in the certamen circle are usually rather unclear to the spectator.)

- Ambiguity

  If a player proposes a move and mentions more than one new active noun, the opponent can usually choose which of these they will consider responding to, provided that the thing is somehow Form-related.

  If the connection of the opponent's phantom to the Form is weak or unclear, it is acceptable to redirect a response to some connecting entity which may be implicit.

  As a general rule, the more vague, woolly or ambiguous a move is, the greater the freedom afforded to the respondent. It is therefore advantageous to be specific and include detail. You are free to fill in any `gaps' left by your opponent and interpret any vagaries at your discretion.

- Invalid Moves

  A player that makes an honest mistake and plays a move that the referee rules to be invalid should generally be given a second chance, with only deliberately abusive or genuinely bad moves being treated as a botch. Players shouldn't be allowed to try dubious moves just to buy time, though - the `clock' does not reset when given a second chance! As a rule of thumb, three successive failures to construct a proper move can be considered a defeat.

  Invalid moves are interpreted as a momentarily-created phantom which fails to overcome the other.

  The referee can assign a disadvantage to a player that suffers a moderate botch, a major botch should be considered an automatic defeat.

- Victory Conditions

  A participant is defeated when any of the following happen:

  - They are unable to create (think of) a suitable phantom within the time limit.
  - They surrender.
  - They botch severely.

### Playtesting

These rules have been partially play-tested. Thanks to Mark Shirley and Richard Peaty. I would be grateful for any comments or suggestions from anyone else who tries them out.

Unlike the made-up examples above, here is an actual dual that was fought:

The young Ricardus Caespuus challenges Marcus Feudalis, and chooses Perdo.

Marcus accepts, choosing Terram, and being the under-handed and devious Tremere he is, flaunts the usual convention and initiates the first phantom himself:

"I am the statue of the great hero standing proud in the town square."

Ricardus:

"I am the unstable foundations which cause the statue to fall into the mud."

Marcus:

"I am the rock beneath the mud that causes it to dry out in the hot sun."
(It is later explained that mud on porous soil can absorb soil moisture, whereas it drys out if it lies upon an impermeable surface.)

Ricardus:

"I am the crack in the rock, through which water seeps to irrigate the mud."

Marcus Rebuffs (Form):

"The rock is solid granite, and has no faults."

Ricardus:

"I am the water which wells up inside the flawless rock until the pressure bursts it asunder."
(The referee thinks that `water' is not really Terram-related, but decides that with it `welling up', it could conceivably be an underground spring, or aquifer, which is somewhat related to the earth. The move stands, but Marcus can interpret this as any underground manifestation of water that he likes.)

Marcus:

"I am the ice that forms from the water in the winter and halts its action."

Ricardus:

"I am the rockfall that crushes the ice."

Marcus:

"I am the mighty chasm that swallows the rocks in its murky depths."

Ricardus:

"I am the earthquake that closes the chasm."

Marcus Wrests:

"That is my earthquake now."

Ricardus cannot come up with a suitable rejoinder, and is defeated.

### Acknowledgement

This certamen system was inspired by Kevin Hassall's Gall Saga rules for Magical Contests.